Chris Matthews: 'Shameless,' 'Nasty' Newt Gingrich Robs 'Joy and Humanity' Like Freddy Krueger
A frothing Chris Matthews on Thursday excoriated the "nasty," "shameless" Newt Gingrich for robbing "the political arena of joy and humanity."
The Hardball host even compared the 2012 Republican presidential candidate to a famous horror movie villain: "I cannot believe there are young Republicans idealists out there, young people with hope who want our country to be good and have good politics to want to resurrect this element of Freddy Krueger, Nightmare on Elm Street politics."
[See video below. MP3 audio here.]
Matthews isn't entirely original here. On June 08, 2009, the anchor said this of Dick Cheney: "Freddy Krueger comes back in every movie and this guy is back every day." (Interestingly, on December 18, 2007, it was Matthews who wore a Freddy-style sweater on Hardball. See picture at right.)
The cable host devoted his entire closing "Let Me Finish" commentary to Gingrich, associating the politician with nearly everything that's wrong in the world: "Newt is the guy that brought nastiness to the U.S. Congress in the 1980s. Newt is a downward influence on American politics."
Earlier in the show, Matthews accused Gingrich of racism in the way he talks about Barack Obama. He theorized, "It's street corner and Newt Gingrich has sort of picked up on it, because it conveys the notion of ghetto hustler. I mean, I know what he's doing here and you know what he's doing."
A partial transcript of the two segments can be found below:
5:06
CHRIS MATTHEWS: Let's bring in Steve McMahon. Steve, he uses, to me he's another version without the sort of the New York charm of Donald Trump. Here he is he's doing things like he accuses the President of the United States, who has come up through the Ivy League, done incredibly academically all his life, done very well. He calls him a con artist, basically, a street corner hustler, basically. He's played a con on us. Same exact term. Con, that Donald Trump uses. It's New York. It's street corner and Newt Gingrich has sort of picked up on it, because it conveys the notion of ghetto hustler. I mean, I know what he's doing here and you know what he's doing.
STEVE MCMAHON: That's exactly what I was just going to suggest, Chris, that there's a racial code that's being expressed when he uses these kinds of words, just as there was for Donald Trump. And I actually think that he might have accelerated his announcement because Donald Trump was getting so much attention by doing the very kind of things that Newt Gingrich has been doing effectively for such a long time. It's the verbal equivalent of shock and awe. He says these things because he knows that people cannot believe what he's saying, he knows it's edgy enough that it's going to get a lot of coverage and it's going to get a lot of people excited.
5:59
MATTHEWS: Let me finish tonight with the desperation of the Republican field. How desperate is it? Any field in which Newt Gingrich thinks he's a serious candidate. That's how desperate it is. Newt. Nasty Newt has gotten Tricky Dick beaten as a nickname. As a historian Jonathan Alter said last night her, him even trying to get back into politics after what he pulled is like Nixon running again, daring to after Watergate. Shameless. That's the word for this entry. Newt is the guy that brought nastiness to the U.S. Congress in the 1980s. Newt is a downward influence on American politics. He not only behaves nasty, he sells nasty. It's always about character. The other said is always corrupt or scaring people. It's always this scourge of righteous pretending negativity. He robs the political arena of joy and humanity and screeches anger and menace. I cannot believe there are young Republicans idealists out there, young people with hope who want our country to be good and have good politics to want to resurrect this element of Freddy Krueger, Nightmare on Elm Street politics. Who kind of dream for America would a person have that would see this weird political element somehow seep under the door of our political process into America's highest office?
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Comments
racE, raCE, rACE, RACE
Submitted by wedapeople on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 7:17pm.
Mathew s is a race baitOr.......
b block rundown:
Gimmeee an R!
R!
Gimmeee an A!
A!
Gimmeee a C!
C!
Gimmeee an E!
E!
Whatssssss that spell!
RACE!
Whatssssss that spell!
RACE!
Whatssssss that spell!
RACE!
Hey if Newt robs joy and
Submitted by MightyMouth on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 7:26pm.
Hey if Newt robs joy and humanity like Freddy Kruger, then Matthews robs common sense and objectivty like Stalin.
ye gads...
Submitted by theprofessor on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 7:44pm.
He's lost his frikken mind. What kind of nut makes such comparisons? Is he trying to out-crazy Alan Grayson?
Matthews has no more class or intelligence than the worst of the lefty trolls on the internet.
Robs thinking people of common sense
Submitted by Tomorama on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 8:11pm.
Non partisan eh Chrissy?
These a-holes deny it, but EVERY one that enters the race will get this same bullshit.
When this feckless coward and his ilk whined where are the Republican candidates, WHAT DID WE SAY THEY WERE GOING TO DO?
Just what every gutless and factless one of them are doing.
Newt never did anything good while i office?
I am not a voter for Newt, but he is twice as as smart as Chrissy.
Use these same terms in regards to Obambi and you would be deemed a racist by this gutless "racer".
Hannity admist he is a Conservative with no pretense, MessNBC is a bunch of lying gutless cowards full of pretense.
Wanted: Chris Matthews
Submitted by Boil It Down on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 8:22pm.
Serial character assassin of conservatives. -bidn-
Newt Gingrich Wins America Wins Chris Matthews Fails.
Submitted by Avitar on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 9:00pm.
Chris Matthews has given away the election. He has made it clear that the man the Progressives fear most is Newt Gingich. Back when Matthews worked for Tip he did everything he could to distroy America's economy. His attack alone should be good for $100 from each of us.
Forget it....
Submitted by Chris Norman on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 9:15pm.
Chris Matthews is...oh, forget it. All the disparaging descriptions of him were used up long ago. I'll just sit back and see if anyone can come up with any newly invented ones.
Primrose Path?
Submitted by Dan Diego on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 9:17pm.
Is MSNBC encouraging and pushing all these over the top lies in order to distract from the subtle & blatant lies being delivered daily by the democrat's presidential candidate?
Their outrageous comments might be an effort to distract / minimize the watchers (NB & others) highlighting the MSM's repeating of Duh One's lies as truth to the masses.
NB Staff, thanks for all you provide and endure.
The US gov is now inventing issues in witch
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 9:29pm.
They write legislation to repair. Then they steal from the productive, and give it to their election campaigns in the form of Gov contracts and handouts.
The lsm is their lying median. The media today is told what to talk about, and to what point. That is why they all say essentially the same thing every day.
Boudin,
Submitted by Chris Norman on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 9:32pm.
"The US gov is now inventing issues in witch... They write legislation to repair"
Is that a Freudian typo? Were you thinking of Nancy Pelosi? :)
Possably
Submitted by Boudin on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 9:38pm.
Yea, that was it!
Wow
Submitted by The Irishman on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 9:37pm.
Haven't heard the Freddy Krueger reference in a while. I guess it's a little funny and a little sad that the best he could come up with was a reference to an 80s horror villain who looks rather cartoonish by today's standard. Who are you talking to, Chris? Your conservative viewer?
"Forgot he was black for a moment!"
Submitted by Texndoc on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 9:49pm.
Who was the famous bubble-headed media person who said watching an Obama speech that for a moment - just a moment - he "forgot he was black" ? I bet it was that Newtie.
Newt's already neutered himself with his don't cut spending rap
Submitted by lrgon on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 10:20pm.
" The fact is, we are not going to close the deficit and move towards a balanced budget unless we follow the policies that foster the economic growth necessary to create jobs.The first and most immediate step would be to employ the policies that encourage investment, create jobs, and reward innovation and entrepreneurship -- exactly the opposite of the Obama anti-jobs policies."--Newton Gingrich, CFR member and NAFTA architect
Ok, he takes the mandatory crack at socialist B. Obama. Big deal what's so special about that? Nothing. There's little difference between his approach and the Obamamaniac' train wreck approach.
Balancing the budget is once again popular so he'll throw out a bone to the fiscal conservatives by claiming he will balance the budget. However it won't be by making huge cuts in spending and cutting back on the size of government, which reason and survival of the system demand we make that choice!
Newtster says he'll do it by increasing tax revenues through more jobs. Oh, yes and how will he create jobs? By stimulus programs ala Bush II and Cherry cakes Obama?
Newt is apparently happy with the bloated size of government which any sane conservatives knows it has to be reduced.
That splashing sound you hear...
Submitted by Ken Shepherd on Thu, 05/12/2011 - 11:04pm.
...is Chris Matthews jumping off the deep end.
Matthews has jumped off the
Submitted by Chris Norman on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 12:33am.
Matthews has jumped off the deep end so many times you'd think by now he'd have made a permanent hole in the water. :)
Newt Feels Like an Anachronism
Submitted by Chris Norman on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 1:40am.
With all due respect, every time I see Newt Gingrich I see an anachronism. His time as an active politician has passed. He did a lot for the conservative movement twenty years ago and he paid for it with a lot of criticism both unfair and fair. He should stay with his books and his projects that he seems to think are very relevant (whatever happened to his "American Solutions" project? Did they ever solve anything?) It's time to let a new flock of candidates have their chance. As it is, he won't do well and will only be a distraction.
I have to admit something: I
Submitted by mostlymoderate on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 2:23am.
I have to admit something: I never really like Newt Gingrich. HOWEVER, since 'tingles' seems to not like him, I think I am starting to like ol' Newt more and more. I am going to read everything I can about this guy and learn to like him :) THAT is how much I despise Matthews.
MM
Submitted by Model850 on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 4:24pm.
I understand your comment was (mostly) tongue-in-cheek but using CM's not liking a Republican as a reason to like them pretty much ensures you will like every Republican candidate. ; ^ )
Chris is scared of Newt
Submitted by Staying Normal ... on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 6:19am.
Me thinks Chrissy and his peanut gallery on MSLSD are very afraid. Gingrich is super smart, a good debater, and not afraid to punch Obama.
I hate Newt's stand on global warming and his checkered marriage stuff, but i think he'll end up playing very well to independents when they hear him speak over the course of a campaign - if he can get the nomination. I actually think a Gingrich/Rubio ticket could win in a landslide.
Poor Matthews
Submitted by Thunder Lizard on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 8:13am.
I'm afraid that one day this guy is going to get himself so worked up on his show, he will blow a gasket and his production crew will have to call 911.
proving once again
Submitted by ohio granny on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 9:51am.
Just proving once again he is a lying Obama pimp. Not one original thought in that fat, empty head.
Shameless? Nasty?
Submitted by Beukeboom on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 10:03am.
Shameless? Nasty? Hustler?
All perjoratives that describe Chris Matthews quite aptly.
Perhaps Matthews is projecting?
Matthews Continues His Vile Ways...
Submitted by Truth Detective on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 10:32am.
Chris Matthews is nothing more than a propagandist for the DNC. He was never a journalist. There is not one Republican or Conservative that he'll show any respect to. The guy is a vile drunk and won't ever be anything but a liberal Democatic shill. MSNBC has never been balanced in its coverage, why would it start now? Expect the expected, lean left, that's the MSNBC motto.
Wow! I never realized just
Submitted by jessieH on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 10:48am.
Wow! I never realized just how scared the left is of freedom! I knew they were two-faced liers but never knew they were such cowards. You can almost smell the fear through the monitor.
Newt and stuff
Submitted by dreamsincolor on Fri, 05/13/2011 - 11:37am.
When we were young (er) was our decision making process significantly better or worse than it is now? Do we stay the same? What I am really asking is: if someone would cheat on a wife where else would they behave contrary to commonly accepted morality? How do we know where the line is he won't cross?
I don't have a problem forgiving a mans past transgressions but forgiving is not forgetting and if a man disrespects his own family, what could he possibly offer me as proof he wouldn't do the same to me?.
____
We need someone that can look at the Federal Government with unbiased eyes, someone that can run things without re-election being the sole purpose for travel. Someone that understands making money and running a country isn't about being friendly, it's about accomplishing a task for the benefit of the WHOLE.
Trump/Cain?
Excellent Pizza in Manhattan Skyscrapers!